First Tri in 24 days, nervous and stupid questions only a newbie could have

If it is an OW swim, and they have a special color swim cap for first timers.  Wear it.  I am sure you won't need it, but it kind of gives you peace of mind that safety observers may be paying special attention to you.  And, start at the back of your swim wave.

Practice setting up your transition area at home, and then putting everything on from the way you had it set up.  You will find some efficiencies.  Having said that, I wouldn't worry about my transition times, or any other times for that matter on your first Tri.

Good luck.  You'll do great!!

they provide the ankle strap.

nervous is normal...and good!   a couple weeks before my first tri last year i started having nightmares about forgetting stuff.  in one dream i found myself at the start of the swim and everyone was in a kayak except me.  nobody told me to bring a freagin kayak!

needless to say i checked and rechecked my list many times and i don't think i forgot anything.

btw, you don't need a kayak.

good luck and have fun!

Practice transitions under race-imulated conditions. Lay out your transition area the way you think it will work. Soak yourself down(in a kiddie pool or garden hose if need be) then run around the hous/block until you are winded but not dry. THEN put on your cycling equipment, practice your bike mount, cycle around the block, practice your dismount, then run around the house with your bike before simulating T2.

You might look stupid to your neighbors, but you'll learn a lot. I would have saved 90 seconds and a lot of frustration just by seeing how hard it is to put on a tri top after a swim. There were other revelations along the way.

things i wish i was told.

1.  you don't need a tri-suit.  i'm sure i looked like a Fred all decked out in it walking part of the 5K.

2.  do bricks.  you have never felt anything like the heaviness you'll have in your legs after the 12 or 15 miles you are about to do.  you'll be excited and you'll go hard.  be ready for it.

3.  you don't need every gizmo on earth.  start with the bare minimal and add things you really can't do without.  bike, bike shoes, tri-shorts, sunglasses, helmet, water bottle, goggles, running shoes.  add from there.  i used to bring food, extra clothes, more water than i would ever need, all in a huge backpack.  i would never touch any of it.

4.  get yanks, the time you spend tying your shoes and retying them when they come undone can be the difference between 3rd and 6th.  do not try to put socks on, try running sockless in your runners.

5.  you don't need to wear socks on the bike, at all.  it will waste more time that you can imagine trying to put socks onto wet feet.  easy 30-40 seconds.  believe me, when you start looking at the results and how mere seconds separate you from others in your age group you'll be sorry for all the tiny ways you wasted time. 

6.  stuff your race belt into one of your shoes, that way you won't forget to put it on coming out of T2. 

7.  smile or get some otherwise acceptable look on your face whenever you see people with cameras.  when you get the race photos email with the link to all the ones of you you will realize that everyone can see your pictures.  you don't want to be looking goofy.  

8.  even if you walk half of the run it is acceptable to sprint in the finish, just make sure you start running before all the people can see you.  if they see you start running they will feel sorry for you and clap louder. 

9.   if you have perfected your flying dismount, make sure you get out of your shoes when your bike computer tells you there is only about a mile to go.  dismount lines have a tendency to sneak up on you and you don't want to waste all that practice jumping off the bike by still being in your shoes. 

10.  practice your flying dismount, being careful not to grab the brakes too hard, there is a tendancy to squeeze the front brake lever when you hit the ground and it'll flip the bike over.  i have seen this happen more than anything else at triathlons. 

11.  have fun!!!!

x2 on do bike/run bricks.  Your legs will not feel like "your" legs until maybe a mile into the run (at least that's ho long it took mine to feel normal).

If you're using clipless pedals, running through transition in cleats can be difficult and slow and slippery (especially if transition is in a paved parking lot).

Good luck :-)

Cat, you'll be fine.  You've worked your butt off.  You'll be surprised at how easy it all is, how nice everyone is, and how great you feel afterwards.  A couple tips are below, they aren't technical because everyone already did that...

• Bring a camera and take a ton of pictures.  You'll want to remember this.
• If you aren't trying to set any huge records start in the back of your swim wave.  That will cut down on the kicks to the nose.
• Get there early.  You'll feel alot better walking around and setting your transition area up without any stress.
• Talk to people.  They'll want to talk with you and get the nervous energy out.

oh wow these are GREAT!

 I have been doing bike-run bricks - and am glad - will continue to....

the whole transition/dismount thing is next up on my list....I like the freak the neighbors out part - since they are all pretty old that will be fun!

just put my yankz in today and went for my first run in them - it is different for sure! too cold to try sockless though I do plan to be sockless for the tri....

bought the race belt but have not tried it on - that might be a plan eh?

and the tips about unmucking feet in t-1 are great - think the hotel will mind if I bring their towels :0

 didn't even occur to me to bring a camera - but will throw it in!

so glad you all are here....and good to know the nervousness is a good thing - cuz I am!!!! 

Yes, (a repeat) - they give you a timing chip and a strap.

hmmm, about the advice.....  I felt I was pretty prepared.  I did lots of reading on BT, found a good checklist and transition diagram, checked my gear twice, then thrice.....

A mistake that I have made:  Make sure your bike is in a good gear.  Once in a race of mine, immediatly out of the transition area was a hill,  I was in WAY to big a gear and couldn't get the bike going.  Had to run up the hill till it got flat to get going....embarassing..

Here is one that wasn't mentioned yet (I don't think) To help with nerves, GET THERE EARLY!  

• You can get the "pick of the litter" when it comes to transition spots. 
• You don't feel rushed
• It's less crowded
• You can go over your gear. 
• Go over your transitions in your head.  Walk the transition area.  Invision leaving the water and running to your bike - It's good to see it the way you will in the race.  Figure out what side of the area you leave on the bike, and where you leave on the run.  I have seen many people running the wrong direction.  Just "visualize" the process several times.
• Gives you time to go to the bathroom - trust me, there will be long lines
• Gives you time to warm up properly
• Time to fix problems (but you won't have any!)
• Gives you more time to relish/enjoy the moment.  The feeling before a race is amazing - that this group of people are all together for this event.  You can almost TASTE the anticipation.  It really make me feel like a part of something special.  No other feeling like it.

Enjoy and have fun!  Take pictures!!!!!

Just remember the number one goal on your first triathlon - just have fun. You wont be first, you wont be last, just look around have fun and enjoy the race. You will make mistakes, just laugh them all, and keep a smile on your face. After that one, if you want to get competative, go for it!! But the first one should be fun and enjoyable.

x3 on the get there early.  It helps with the nerves, you can really soak up the enjoyment of the race, and you can get in the portapotty lines early and often!  There's been lots of great advice already, but here are a couple more things:

If you're nervous about the swim but a decent swimmer, start on the outside, rather than the rear.  It'll give you room to swim but won't put you behind a bunch of bodies.

Take your bike out for a spin after you get to transition.  Ask one of your transition neighbors if you can trade off warm ups/watching stuff, and do a few miles on your bike.  Make sure you leave it in an appropriate gear for starting the race - you don't want to have trouble on your mount out of T1 because you're pulling a hard gear.

If it's a sprint, don't futz around too much with nutrition.  All you need is your liquid of choice - you should have enough glycemic reserves to get you through.  I've seen people get so stressed out because they left their gel at T1, and it's really not a big deal.  If you are going to take nutrition, tape it to your bike stem with electrical tape and the tear started, it will be easy to grab while you're on the go and it's one less thing to forget.

Don't let anybody get you down.  In my last race last season, I got there early and got a great end spot on my rack.  I took a warm up spin and came back and somebody had shoved my stuff around and racked his bike in my spot.  I was a little irritated about it, and when the guy came back I struck up some conversation - it was his first race, and he was so nervous - he didn't realize what he'd done.  It really helped me to get some perspective and made me think about how my mental game is as important as all the other stuff we practice.  So race your own race. 

Have a great time, Cat!  It's really awesome, and you'll love it.